Fighting for Everlasting Peace
by CelestialKisses
Summary: Serena and her pals are excited to finally graduate high school, thinking that they can finally continue on with their lives without worrying about fighting evil. But, evil comes in a new form: vampires out to take the life-blood of young Tokyo residents. Can the scouts defeat their latest enemy, finally ensuring peace?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The sunlight peered through the sheer curtains in my bedroom. I rolled over again, praying that it wasn't actually time to get up yet. Cracking one eye open just enough to see the alarm clock, I saw that it was in deed time to get up. With a groan, I pulled the covers over my head, just before a black cat jumped on my chest. "Time to get up, Serena! It's your last day of high school. You certainly don't want to be late for that, do you?"

With a sigh, I mumbled, "I'm getting up." Slowly rolling my legs of the bed, I started my slow walk to the closet where my school uniform hung, freshly pressed and ready for its last day of use. As I buttoned the skirt and fashioned my bow appropriately, I looked at myself in the mirror. The last two years had gone by so fast and so peacefully. I looked at the brooch on my dresser, the pink heart surrounded by a gold outline with small gold wings, all of which framed a gold crescent moon. Running my fingers along the outline, I got chills up my spine. After all, I am Sailor Moon, and my duties as such had been reduced tremendously since defeating Galaxia several years ago.

It was odd, not being a prominent super hero anymore. I was no longer missing school or living in constant fear of being attacked, or worse, killed. Tokyo almost seemed too quiet without an enemy threatening to destroy everything. I wondered how my friends felt about the situation. They seem to have adjusted well, continuing on with their lives, busy with schoolwork and boys. I took another glance at her clock and then looked to Luna, who was glaring at her from the bed. I smiled, "Okay, okay, I'm on my way out." Grabbing her school bag, I took a big breath as she ran down the stairs in her typical morning rush, grabbing her lunch bag and shoes on the way out the door.

As I made my usual morning sprint to school, I took a moment to look up at the sky and nearly stopped in my tracks. The bright morning sun that had been shining through my window less than thirty minutes ago was now quickly being covered by an ominous gray cloud. "Storms don't move in that fast, do they?" I wondered as I slowed my run to a trot. Shaking her head, she decided that it must be an unusual storm and continued on my last stretch of sidewalk before rounding the corner into the school's gate, just in the nick of time.

Catching my breath, I ran into my classroom, only slowing down to slide into my seat. With a final sigh, I slouched in my seat. The room around me was chatty, carrying on with their normal morning routines. This reassured me, for some reason. I felt a pull on my shoulders as Molly flung her arms around me. "Well, girl, this is it! Our last day of high school!" I smiled as she turned to face my childhood best friend. While they had certainly had moments that they grew apart, especially as I took on my role of Sailor Moon as the upmost important part of my life, Molly had always stuck by my side. I smiled with a sigh, "Yeah, I can't believe it! These years have gone by so fast!"

Molly nudged me, "Now you can get onto other things, huh?"

I blushed and giggled, "Hey, I'm not the only one!"

I had watched as Molly had grown to love Melvin alongside me as I fell in love with Darien. While I was initially surprised by Molly's love, especially how quickly it grew in the wake of Nephlyte's death, it now seemed so natural for them to be together and, better yet, be happy. We continued chatting until our homeroom teacher, Ms. Abe, quieted the class down. "Now, I know you're all very excited, but we have some things to cover before you can officially graduate," Ms. Abe said in her sing-song voice. I yawned and waited for her directions, willing myself to not fall asleep for once.

When the bell for lunch rang, I finally felt a bit more awake and resituated my desk so I could face Amy. "Hey, Ames, getting nervous about your big speech?"

Amy looked up from her book at me, her face stoic, "No, not particularly. I have been rehearsing it every night. Now I'm just preparing for my first course in university."

My smile neutralized a bit, "Ah, Ames, c'mon, it's the last day of school! Lighten up a bit."

Amy smiled as she put her bookmark on the page she was reading, "okay, okay, just this once, though."

"Did you notice that cloud this morning?"

"No, I didn't. It was all sunshine when I got to school for chess club this morning. " Amy looked outside and stated, "It's all sunshine now, too."

I glanced over in the same direction as Amy and saw that she was right. Standing up, I moved from my desk and looked down from the window and saw that the ground was dry with no signs of rain having fallen. "Hmm, that's weird. I wonder what it was."

"It may have just been one of those rain clouds that moves across the sky without releasing any precipitation," Amy stated matter-of-factly.

"So you don't think I have anything to worry about?"

Amy smiled, "Since when have you been the worrier? It's nothing but a passing storm."

"I don't know. There was something about it. I'm sure it was nothing."

Amy blushed and asked, "Could it have anything to do with nerves of your upcoming wedding?"

I quickly shushed her, "Ames! I don't need the whole class knowing about that! Plus, it's not even for a few months. There's no use in worrying about the weather now." I readjusted in my seat as I pulled out my lunch. "I was thinking this morning of how it's been so long since we've had an enemy to battle. For some reason, it's a bit unsettling to not have a battle to fight."

Amy nodded thoughtfully as she chewed on her sandwich, "It is certainly different considering how long we had some sort of adversary, but maybe the world is finally at peace. After all, we know that you are about to achieve your rank as Neo-Queen Serenity and then we will enter our deep sleep before reawakening in the 30th century."

I sat back and mulled over what Amy said. "I guess so. Maybe I just miss being a Sailor Scout, you know? I kinda miss being a bad-ass super hero."

Amy quietly giggled, "Wasn't there a time where all you wanted was to be a normal teenager? Now you have your wish and are unsettled by normality."

"It's hard to readjust once you've been used to a certain way of life for so long."

"I suppose so. But, might as well take advantage of the peace while it lasts, right?"

"Yeah, true. I think I'll take a cat nap before the afternoon classes start. I was having a nice dream during home economics."

"Oh, Serena, in some ways you never change."

The rest of the day seem to drag on, which seemed strange considering how much we had to look forward to between finally being done with school, graduation, and, of course, party cake! Then, when the final bell rang, I realized, "This is it. My schooling years are over!" I couldn't help but grin from ear to ear as I also realized that this meant my days with Darien would begin very shortly. I packed up my desk quickly, shoving everything into my book bag. Once I finished, I looked up to see Amy waiting patiently for me. "Mina and Lita are waiting outside whenever you're ready," she said merrily.

"Wow, is someone eager to leave school?" I joked, surprised that Amy was ready to leave the classroom for the last time quicker than I was.

"High school was certainly a pleasant challenge," Amy stated, "but I now have bigger and better academic challenges I'm ready to face."

"Oh, yeah," I muttered. "I thought you were just ready to enjoy pizza and milkshakes with the girls."

"That, too. I'm starving!" Amy said as her stomach agreed with a low rumble. Amy blushed and looked at her shoes.

"Wow, I guess so. Well, let's go! Time's a-wastin!"

I grabbed Amy's hand and practically dragged her out of the classroom and down the stairs so we could meet the rest of our team in the courtyard. Mina and Lita gave shouts of joy as Amy and I approached them. Mina swung her arms around me, "Look at us! We actually finished high school!"

"We aren't complete academic failures!" I responded enthusiastically. "Of course, we wouldn't be here without our dear friend, Amy."

"Hey, don't forget all the treats I baked for our late-night study sessions!" Lita reprimanded.

Mina and I chimed together, "Of course we didn't! Who could forget those?"

All smiles, I said, "Let's book it! I'm starved!" to a resounding agreement that I was _always _"starved."

As we approached our favorite hangout, the Crown Fruit Parlor, I noticed a shadow growing over me. I jumped, expecting to see a storm cloud encroaching the sun's light. Instead, I saw my beloved Darien. "Hey, meatball head!" He said with a half-smile, "I was going to sneak up on you. Why so jumpy?"

"Oh, it's nothing. I just saw a storm cloud this morning."

Darien laughed heartily, "You were afraid of a storm cloud?" He pecked my cheek and put his arm around my waist, "I know you're terrified of thunderstorms, Serena, but I don't think one storm cloud is going to do that much damage.

I nodded, "I know. I don't know what's wrong with me. I keep expecting something bad to happen."

Darien pulled me in closer, pressing my face against his chest. "There's nothing to worry about, my dearest. I'm here to protect you, remember?"

I smiled and looked up into his deep blue eyes. "I know. It's silly of me, but I can't help but feel that the peace we've had the last few years isn't going to last."

"We will deal with that when the time comes. There is nothing you and the other scouts can't beat."

"Yes, I guess you're right. We are a pretty tough bunch, aren't we?"

"You bet. Now, let's get a milkshake. My treat!"

"Aw, Darien, thanks!"

By the end of the afternoon, I had forgotten anything about a storm cloud or fears of being attacked. My friends are always there to comfort and support me, no matter what the case. And of course, Darien is my shield from anything bad that could happen. As Mina, Amy, Lita, and Raye went their own ways back home, Darien took my hand and walked with me back to his apartment. Through numerous sleep overs at Darien's, with Molly covering that I was actually over at her house, I had managed to leave an assortment of clothes and other personal items over at his place, so the spontaneous decisions to stay the night were easily managed. Of course, Mom and Dad knew now that Darien and I were engaged to be married and probably had an idea that we were spending nights together, but I still tried to maintain an air of innocence with them. "Remind me to call my parents when we get to your place. I already gave Molly a head's up that I might be staying over."

Darien smiled, "Of course. Don't want to make mom and dad upset before the big day."

I blushed and nudged his side with my elbow. He laughed, "I meant your graduation! I'm sure they've been looking forward to it for years."

"Oh, of course! They probably didn't think it was going to happen."

Darien kissed the top of my head, "You surprise all of us sometimes."

I glared at him and he then stammered, "I…I mean in lots of little ways. Not in your academics alone! Although they have certainly improved since that first time I met you."

I smiled at the memory of meeting Darien for the first time. I had received a terrible grade on an exam. A 30, was it? In my frustration, I threw it over my shoulder in a crumpled ball and had the fortune of hitting Darien square on the head with it. After a few snarky remarks, I snatched my paper away from him and stormed off. His good looks had caught my eye that day, although his personality was a major deduction from his hotness score. Over the months, we continually ran into each other before learning each other's secret identities as Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask and our destiny that traced back (and forward) for thousands of years.

I smiled as Darien entwined his fingers in mine on our walk back to his place. We walked in silence the rest of the way, only needing one another's company to fill the space between us. I thought to myself, _if this is what everlasting peace feels like, maybe I don't want to fulfill my duties as Sailor Moon again, after all._


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The next morning began somewhat like the one before, except this time Luna wasn't harping on me to get out of bed and I felt the distinct warmth of Darien's body beside me. I rolled over to face my lover, who was still peacefully asleep. _I guess he decided not to go for his morning jog, _I thought as I watched his chest rise and fall evenly. I snuggled against his arm, which was extended as if it was inviting me to be embraced. Leaning my head on Darien's chest, he shifted and opened his eyes. "Mm, good morning, my darling," he said quietly before kissing my forehead. "How did you sleep?"

"Wonderfully, as usual," I responded with a smile.

"Hungry? I picked up ingredients to make pancakes."

"Oh, Darien, you sure know how to spoil me."

Darien chuckled, gave me a squeeze and a kiss, and then got up from the bed. "After all this time, I better know how to spoil you. You certainly aren't afraid to voice what you want."

"True. I don't like to be the mysterious silent type like you," I said as I rolled onto my back, taking up as much space as I could manage on the bed.

Darien smiled and then walked away saying, "I have my reasons."

I sat up and took in my surroundings. Darien had upgraded to a slightly larger, more private apartment since I had first met him and he lived in a small studio apartment. He had also opted to get a larger bed, which I was certainly thankful for. Our first several sleepovers were a challenge with nothing but a twin-sized bed, especially when Rini decided to tag along. Looking to Darien's nightstand, I saw his favorite picture of the three of us sitting in a frame that Rini had decorated at school while she had stayed with us. In the picture, Rini stood slightly in front of Darien and I, the three of us all with smiles that certainly matched out personalities. I had my mouth open and eyes closed, Darien was close-lipped with a satisfied expression, and Rini's smile fit perfectly in between the two – it was a huge, close lipped smile that still made her cheeks look round and pink and her eyes close. I wondered how she was doing in the future. It's hard to wrap my head around what age she is now with the difference in the time. Plus, the people of the thirtieth century aged much slower, being blessed with youth for a huge number of years. As I sat thinking, Darien tapped on the door, "You okay in here? I thought you were following me right out."

"Yeah, I'm fine. I was just thinking about Rini. I wonder how she's doing these days. Or in her days."

Darien smiled, "I'm sure she's happy. You'll see her again before you know it, I'm sure."

"Oh, I know. It's just different having not seen her in so long. And you know, it's hard for a mother to not see her child," I said blushing.

Darien knowingly smiled and walked towards me. He sat next to me and wrapped his arms around me. "I know how you feel. I miss that little girl every day. But, I know I'll see her again and get to experience so much with her for the first time in the future. We've only been a small part of her life in this time. We have so much left to look forward to."

I nodded, resting my head on Darien's shoulder. "You're right. I need to appreciate things in the here and now more often. So, let's now go enjoy your delicious pancakes!"

Darien laughed, "Okay, meatball head. They're waiting for you in the kitchen."

"Yippee!"

I sprang from the bed and ran into the kitchen. In front of me was a heaping stack of Darien's handmade pancakes, perfectly golden brown and steaming with warmth. I inhaled deeply. Pancakes were definitely one of my favorite foods, as well as Rini's, so Darien had practiced making them until they were perfect every time. Next to the stack, Dairen had set out maple syrup, strawberries, blueberries, and banana slices. Licking my lips, I took a plate with two pancakes smothered in syrup and then filled a salad bowl with the fresh fruit. Despite my love of junk food, Darien had started to get me hooked on the healthier stuff, especially since he took the time to prepare it nicely for me. Once I had my food ready, I set it on the table and waited patiently for Darien to get his plate ready. He slowly made his way to the table with his food and two cups of tea. We ate in silence, both savoring the moment together.

It was amazing how much time we spent simply enjoying one another's company. While I loved talking about everything with Darien, we both had become so comfortable with one another that constant conversation wasn't necessary. Communication between us had developed into relying on glances, caresses, and gestures to show each other how we were feeling or what we were thinking. It was something that I only could accomplish with him and made me feel closer to him every day.

After we had both cleared our plates, Darien looked at me, took my hand, and then glanced at the clock on the wall, which told us that the morning had gone by rather fast and it was already 11 o'clock. "What do you want to do today?" Darien asked. "You have your graduation rehearsal tonight, right? And then you're hanging out with the girls?"

I nodded, "Mm hmm. I'm not sure what I want to do. I am ready to get out of here, though." I looked out the window and saw a clear blue sky, the sun shining brightly. "It's a beautiful day. Why don't we rent a rowboat and spend some time on the pond at the park?"

Darien nodded, "That sounds good. It's been a while since we've done that."

We both stood up. Darien took my plate and bowl off the table and went into the kitchen to clean up. Meanwhile, I retreated to the bedroom and made the bed, carefully making sure to tuck the sheets in the way that Darien liked them. He always kept his apartment meticulously clean and I was desperately trying to learn to do things his way. While I hadn't perfected his methods of cleaning, he was generally satisfied with my job and rewarded me with pecks on the cheek. Once the bed was made, I walked to the closet where a few of my favorite things were held. I thumbed through my clothes that hung on the closet rod and decided on a simple pale blue dress with a white blouse underneath. It had been one of my favorite outfits when Darien and I started dating and while it was starting to show wear, I couldn't bear to part with it. Thankfully, Darien had started to make better fashion choices from our early days together and had a much more tasteful wardrobe. Nonetheless, I tended to pick out his outfits. Turning my attention to his side of the closet, I selected a pair of jeans and a faded green t-shirt for Darien to wear.

As I finished picking out our clothes for the day, I heard Darien start the water for a shower. He peaked his head out of the door, "Do you want a shower first? I know you take a while to do your hair."

"I could, or," I said lowering my gaze, "we _could _take one together."

Darien blushed. As much time as we spent around each other, he was always slightly uncomfortable around the idea of us being naked together. Of the two of us, I was certainly the instigator in trying to sexually advance the relationship. Time and time again, Darien insisted that he wanted to maintain what was left of my innocence. "Serena, c'mon now. We've talked about this…" he said, looking at the ground.

I picked my head back up, even though I was slightly disappointed, I had expected the response. "Okay, I'll go first."

Once Darien and I had both managed to wash up, we made our way to the park and went up to the boat rentals.

"One rowboat rental, please," Darien stated as he held out the money to cover the cost of the rental. As Darien handed him the money, the attendant fumbled with the cash register and seemed to have trouble making change. "It's okay, keep the change," Darien eventually said, seemingly sympathetic to the young man's struggles. With only a grunt, the attendant handed Darien the ticket to retrieve a boat. As we walked away, I glanced back at the window, where the attendant hadn't moved and looked straight ahead, seemingly at nothing.

"Did that guy seem a bit off?" I asked, concerned with the strange interaction.

"He may just be a tired. I'm sure a job like that can get dull," Darien stated matter-of-factly.

"I suppose so, but I don't think I've ever seen anyone quite that spaced-out on the job."

Darien smiled, "You're concerned with people being spacey, Serena? There's been plenty of instances where your safety has been at risk because of spaceyness."

"Oh, hush. I know I can be just as bad, but normal people don't tend to be that way, do they?"

"Some people may be. If you can, why can't anyone else, right?"

"Yeah, I guess so. Okay, let's go!" I said, trying to focus instead on our date.

Darien extended his hand to help me lower into the rowboat, which had proved to be quite a challenge a number of times. Once I had successfully managed to sit on the bench without tipping the boat over, Darien lowered himself down across from me and took hold of the oars. "Ready?" He said as he pushed the boat back from the dock. I nodded, turning my attention to the water behind him. "Coast's clear."

Darien rowed, his stroked even and smooth, until we were in the center of the pond. He then pulled the oars up out of the water, letting the boat drift along with the bobs and waves from other boats. I closed my eyes and tilted my head back, letting the April sun warm my face. "You're stunning, you know?" Darien said, barely above a whisper. I lowered my head and looked ahead at him. His eyelids were lowered and a slight blush had crept across his cheeks. I smiled, feeling my own face flush. Darien began to lean in towards me, his eyes closing. I reciprocated the motion until I felt his lips pressed against mine. He then lifted one hand to the back of my head while the other was pressed into the small of my back, pulling me closer. After a few moments, Darien pulled his head back. I opened my eyes to meet his as he said, "I love you, Serena."

"I love you, too, Darien. With all of my heart."

Darien sat back into his seat and pulled a small box out of his pocket. Even though we were already engaged, I felt my heart give a jolt in my chest at the sight of the small velvet box. "I saw this the other day and thought you may like it."

Taking my hand in his, Darien placed the small box in my hand. I opened it and took in the sight of the gift. It was a delicate silver necklace with a ruby red rose pendant. "It's beautiful, Darien, thank you," I said.

He leaned in and took hold of the box, "May I put it on for you?"

I nodded and pulled my hair aside. Darien gracefully lifted the necklace out of the box and easily clasped it behind my neck. As he released the pendant, I surprised by the weight of it as it came to rest on my chest. "It suits you perfectly."

"Thank you. Oh, you're always so thoughtful and I never do anything to return the favor."

"Of course you do. By simply being yourself and spending time with me, you give me the greatest happiness I could ever imagine."

I blushed and smiled as Darien leaned in again for a kiss. He pulled back rather quickly and looked up at the sky. I followed his gaze to see that the beautiful blue sky from the morning had been enveloped by gray clouds. "That's funny," Darien said, "the weather didn't call for any rain today." As he spoke, rain began falling from the sky. I covered my head as best as I could from the sudden shower as Darien lowered the oars into the water and quickly paddled to the dock. Once the boat was tied up and we had both managed to get onto land, Darien took my hand and we ran to the bus stop for cover. As I caught my breath, Darien hailed a taxi to take us home and out of the cold rain.

After we had reached Darien's apartment, we both headed to the bathroom to grab towels to dry off. I walked back to the closet and picked out a more relaxed outfit for my evening with the girls. We were only going to watch a few chick flicks and eat popcorn, so there was no need to get dressed up. Darien picked out his own outfit and opted for a pair of old sweat pants and an ugly t-shirt. I glared at him upon seeing his selection. "What's the look for? If I'm spending the evening alone, I might as well be comfortable. I plan on doing some reading tonight," Darien defended.

"Yeah, maybe you should do some reading on weather. This storm came out of nowhere!" I said.

"I was actually thinking of that. You know, you had mentioned a storm cloud the other day, right? I wonder if they're part of the same storm system."

"If they were, wouldn't the weathermen have said something about it? I mean, I know that they can be way off in their predictions, but I think an entire storm system would be hard to miss."

"Hmm, you're right."

"Darien, do you think something _else _is going on besides funny weather?"

"I don't know. I would like to hope it's just strange weather, though. But, I am starting to see your point in being concerned. Maybe you could talk it over with the girls tonight and see if they've noticed anything strange."

"I'll be sure to do that. I'm really getting nervous."

Darien smiled, "You sure have grown up a lot from your beginning days. Remember how you used to be oblivious to any sign of evil lurking?"

"How could I forget?" I said rolling my eyes.

Darien laughed and pulled me into him. He kissed my forehead, "You know I'm only teasing, Serena. I'm proud of you, you know that, right?"

I nodded, looking up at him. I rose up on my tiptoes and planted a kiss square on his lips. "I better get going. Raye won't be very happy if I'm late."

Darien kissed me again and released me from his embrace. "Okay. Let me know what you find out in the morning."

"I will."

I turned on my heel and walked into the bathroom to change into my dry clothes and freshen up before heading out. Before leaving the bathroom, I grabbed my hairbrush and a few other toiletries to get me through the sleepover at Raye's. Realizing I had forgotten to pack a bag, I dashed back into the bedroom and tossed pajamas and another set of clothes into a daypack along with my toiletries. Double checking that I had everything, I zipped the bag closed and headed out to the living room, where Darien had already planted himself with a book on weather and a cup of tea resting on the coffee table. I kissed his temple, "Bye, Darien. Have a good night."

Putting his book down, Darien stood up and gave me yet another kiss and a firm hug. "Stay safe, my love."

I nodded as he released me, "I will."

Even though I had affirmed my own safety, I became increasingly nervous for some reason as I made the familiar track from Darien's apartment to Raye's home. Looking around me, I noticed the roads and sidewalks to be strangely empty, despite the rain. _Something is definitely going on. I only wish I knew what it is._


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Quickly making my way up the steps to Raye's home, I instantly felt more at ease. I could feel the presence of my friends nearby and knew that they would help me figure out what's going on. I let myself into Raye's home at the entrance nearest to her room. As I approached the silkscreen door, I heard a collective giggle from my four best friends. I slowly slid the screen over and let myself into the room.

"There's Serena! Late as usual," Raye chastised playfully.

"Sorry, sorry! I got caught in the rain when I was at the park with Darien and had forgot to pack."

"Hey, girl, no worries! I brought cupcakes!" Lita said, extending the tray of delicious treats towards me.

I gladly took one of the cupcakes that had been carefully decorated with chocolate frosting and a fondant bunny. "I'm assuming that this one is for me," I said, taking a bite into the perfectly baked treat.

Lita nodded, "I made one for each of us that stood for something important to us. It was an assignment for my class."

Lita had been taking an extra curricular baking class at the local college while she awaited beginning classes at the chef school she had been accepted into. The five of us chatted away, catching up on our gossip for the last few days of our high school careers and reminiscing on the times we had spent together. Eventually, Amy asked the question I had been aching to bring up. "Has anyone else got the feeling that something strange is going on? It's as if there is a new evil approaching us."

Raye was the first to agree. "We have had a decrease in the number of patrons at the temple. I did a fire reading recently and got a fuzzy image of what seemed to be a person draining blood from another person."

Mina perked up, "Like, vampires?!"

Raye nodded, "Yes, except the vision seemed to have a different energy than I would expect from a vampire. There was something more happening than simply losing blood."

We all sat contemplating what the new enemy could possibly be. Breaking the silence, we all jumped at the sound of a scream coming from the wishing tree at the front of Raye's family temple. Quickly standing up, I shouted, "I think it's time for us to transform, everyone!" Then, thrusting my hand in the air, I shouted, "Moon Eternal, Make-up!"

The other four quickly did the same, shouting their respective transformation phrases. Once we had all transformed, I felt a jolt of adrenaline as I led the way down the halls to the base of the prayer alter, where a young woman stood, slumped over, her eyes blankly staring ahead of her. _She looks like that guy at the rental booth earlier. Maybe he had been attacked, also._

"Show your self, evil being!" Sailor Mars shouted, her fists clenched at her sides.

Sailor Mercury stood beside the victim, checking her pulse. "Her heart is beating so slowly, but with a surge of pressure. It is working very hard to pump what blood she has in her body." She then lowered the victim to the ground, doing her best to make the victim comfortable. "Sailor Mars, do you think we could bring her inide for observation? Maybe we can figure out what happened exactly, if she comes to sometime soon."

Mars nodded, "There is a guest cot in the house. We'll bring her there."

Very carefully, Mercury and Mars lifted the victim and brought her into the house. Venus, Jupiter and I continued scanning the grounds for the perpetrator, but couldn't find any sign of a monster lurking nearby. Apprehensively, I said, "I guess for now we'll just have to wait for the next attack. Whoever, or _what_ever did this got away this time."

Jupiter and Venus nodded their heads in agreement and Venus said, "Let's see what we can find out from the victim we found. Maybe she'll have a clue as to what happened."

The three of closed our eyes and untransformed, returning to our civilian forms. We then jogged back into the house, where Raye and Amy had returned to their civilian forms and were seated on the floor next to the victim. Amy was checking the young woman's pulse again while Raye carefully arranged a cool washcloth on her forehead. Amy turned her attention towards us as we walked through the silkscreen opening. "Her pulse is beginning to return to a normal pace, but she seems to be a bit feverish now. She has made some movement and sound, but not enough that we can talk to her, yet."

I nodded, desperately thinking of what to do next. "It has been so long since we've faced an enemy, I'm not sure of how to approach the situation any more," I said, crossing my arms across my chest as I took a seat beside Amy. Lita and Mina followed suit and sat on either side of Raye. We all sat in silence for several moments, each of us wearing a contemplative expression. Quite suddenly, the victim stirred and sat up in her cot. We all sat up straight and turned our attention towards her, waiting for what she was going to do next. With a blank stare, she mumbled something, not directed towards any of us.

Amy took hold of the young woman's shoulder, "Hello? Can you tell me your name?"

The girl turned her head towards Amy's voice, still with no expression on her face. "Vi…Vic…Victoria," the girl eventually said, straining to make any sound.

Amy nodded, taking a deep breath as she considered her next question. "How old are you, Victoria?" she eventually said, trying to come up with easier questions.

"Fi..fif…fif…fif…teen," Victoria stammered.

"Okay, good, thank you, Victoria," Amy responded. "Do you know what just happened to you?"

Suddenly, the girl's eyes opened wide, even though they still remained dull and seemingly void of emotion. "Vampire…" she said, certain of herself.

Mina caught her breath and Raye glared at her, as if saying, _Don't go and frighten her._

Amy repositioned herself closer to the victim and asked her, "What were you doing when the vampire attacked you?"

"Wishing…" the girl said, pausing for a time, before continuing with, "…for a chance…at winning the championship." The girl then closed her eyes, tears beginning to form. "But, I don't want it anymore. I don't ever want to play sports again."

As she slowly seemed to return to a sense of normality, Amy escorted the girl to the bus stop to return home. In her absence, the rest of us tried to piece together the girl's account of what had happened. Raye was the first to theorize what was happening, "I don't think that is any normal vampire. The girl's blood was certainly drained, but we didn't see any visible bite marks. And she mentioned having a wish, but then came to tears, saying she didn't want it any more." Raye looked up to the rest of us, "Do you think the vampire is taking away a person's dream?"

Mina was the first to respond, "Maybe not a dream, but something smaller."

Lita added, "Maybe motivation? She seemed disenchanted with the idea of playing sports anymore as a whole, not with the specific goal."

The four of us nodded in agreement, then sat in silence as we continued to formulate our hypothesis. Amy returned some time later and we presented what we had thought. She considered the idea for a while and nodded, "It seems plausible. Of course, it is difficult to scientifically measure something like motivation. We'll have to wait for more victims and see what we can find."

With the somber ending to the evening, the five of us decided against our relaxing night of chick flicks and popcorn and instead chose to retire for bed early. In the morning, maybe we could find more answers.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The next morning, I was the last to wake up in Raye's room and slowly rose from my sleeping bag to find the rest of the girls. Given how quiet the temple was, it proved to be quite the challenge. Eventually, I found them in one of the more secluded gardens. Raye had brought a tray of tea and muffins out to the garden, but none of the girls had touched anything as they sat on the various benches that had been arranged into a small circle. I took a seat beside Mina, trying my best not to interrupt their conversation.

Amy looked over to me and filled me in on what was being discussed. "At this time, we've decided it may be best to keep our eyes out for victims who are school aged, so we are going to split up around various hang-outs around the city. Mina is going to keep an eye on the general-purpose sports fields, Lita is going to check out the park, Raye is staying on the temple grounds with a particular focus on the prayer shrine, and I am going to focus on the library. We figured you would prefer to hang out around the shopping center or arcade. Would that be okay?"

I nodded, "I'll bring Darien with me and fill him in on the situation. I'm sure he'll have some insight on what's going on."

On my walk back to Darien's, I couldn't help but feel a little excited about having a new enemy to fight. Sure, peace is always a good thing, but what good am I as a superhero if I don't have a nemesis to defeat? Lost in my thoughts, my stomach dropped as I heard a high-pitched wail from a nearby alley. Without hesitation, I thrust my hand into the air, "Moon Eternal Power, make-up!"

With the completion of my transformation sequence, I immediately dashed to the source of the sound and saw a dark figure hunched over another young girl. The figure looked up, his eyes glowing red with a trace of blood seeping from the side of his mouth. I thrust my hand towards the monster, my pointer finger extended, "You are about to be punished, in the name of the Moon!"

The figure slowly lowered his gaze, a smile creeping across his face, "And who might you be, my sweet?"

I caught my breath as the figure disappeared, only to reappear behind me, his long, cold fingers clenching my neck and jaw. "Tell me, what do you live for?" I shut my eyes. How could I let this happen? I finally saw the enemy and I was about to become his next victim. As I struggled to get him off of me, I saw a flash of red and the monster released me. "Who dare pierce my skin?"

I looked up and saw my beloved Tuxedo Mask at the entrance to the alley. "It is unwise to disgrace the wishes of the young. They are the ones who shape the future," Tuxedo Mask stated, his statement as ominous and cheesily motivational as always. "Now, Sailor Moon! Punish those who take away the life blood of the young!"

"You got it!" I reached in the air, expecting my wand to appear, but found myself only clenching air. My heart dropped. _How am I supposed to defeat him if I don't have a wand? _Trying to hide my panic, I quickly attempted to think of an alternative. It was too late to ask for help from the others and Tuxedo Mask's capabilities were, well, a bit lacking.

The monster threw his head back. "How exactly did you plan on getting rid of me? Maybe you'll have more time to think of it later." With a tremendous leap, he disappeared in a flurry of white rose petals.

"Damn! He got away!" I said through clenched teeth. My blood roared in my ears. I felt so useless. "Hey, Sailor Moon, can you help me out?" Tuxedo Mask called as he lifted the head of the victim to keep it off the dirty ground of the alleyway.

"What am I supposed to do, Tuxedo Mask? I don't have my wand."

Tuxedo Mask smiled, "You have the Imperium Silver Crystal, remember? Harness its power and heal her. It's the best we can do, for now."

"Oh…right, of course." I leaned down towards the victim. Raising my hands to my chest, I cupped my brooch in between my palms, calling on the power of the Imperium Silver Crystal. "Oh, Imperium Silver Crystal, please restore this girl so she may return to her normal life." I bowed my head, closed my eyes, and felt the warm power of the crystal flow from my hands to the girl. As it faded, I opened my eyes to see the girl doing the same. She blinked rapidly, looking up at Tuxedo Mask and me. Blushing she asked, "What happened?"

Tuxedo Mask answered swiftly, "You had a bit of a feinting spell. This strange shift in the weather probably caught your body off guard. Try to take it easy for the rest of the day."

"Oh, okay. Well, well, thank you, sir!" the girl said as Tuxedo Mask helped her to her feet. With a wave, we watched as she left the alleyway and continued on to the main street.

Tuxedo Mask and I turned towards each other before we both lowered our heads, closed our eyes, and detransformed. Once we were both returned to our normal states, Darien turned to me, "You did well. I know you were caught off guard by not having your wand, but you held off the monster well enough that I got a good visual of him. It'll certainly be easier to keep an eye out for him."

I nodded, still feeling a bit steamed about not being able to defeat the monster outright. Darien took my hand in his. I looked up to him to meet his gaze. "Don't worry, my love, we can defeat this thing," he reassured me. "For now, let's get home."

Darien and I walked home in silence. As he unlocked the door and I dropped my things from the sleepover in the entryway, Darien asked, "Still upset about the fight?"

I sighed as I plopped on the nearest armchair, "Yes. I was so…excited about finally facing the enemy and was humiliated that I could do nothing to defeat it."

Darien situated himself in front of me. "Hey, you can do this." He tugged on my hand and proceeded to rub his thumb along mine. "This is just the beginning. We'll figure it out."

I looked at him and straightened up in my chair. "You're right, as usual. I guess I shouldn't be so down on myself after one measly battle."

"Exactly. We have a lot more coming our way, I'm sure. We have to keep our spirit and our strength up."

"Does that mean we can eat now? I'm so hungry!"

Darien chuckled, "Of course. How about we go out for a change? We can keep our eyes open for any other attacks while we're at it."

I leapt from the chair, "Ok! Let's go!" I bolted for the door before Darien called me back.

"Wait, goofball, where are we even going?"

"We'll decide when we get there!" I said merrily as I skipped out the door.

Unable to actually decide on anything, Darien and I settled on stopping at the Crown Parlor. It was a classic for us and they had the best milkshakes. As I single-handedly polished off the appetizer Darien and I had ordered, I looked up to catch Darien's eyes fixated on me. "Mwhat?" I asked, trying to keep food from escaping my mouth.

Darien smiled, "You never cease to amaze me."

I swallowed and thought carefully, "Didn't you already say that recently?"

"Perhaps, but that doesn't mean it isn't any less true." Darien took my hand in his. His face became more somber as he spoke, "Serena, you mean the world to me, you know? I was alone in the world for so long. I grew up with my walls built up around me, not wanting to let anyone in and know me for fear that I would lose them again. We certainly have had some close calls, but it reassures me to see you return my love for you." Darien looked up at me, locking his eyes with mine. "When I look into your eyes, I see a pure soul who accepts me for who I am, even with all of my faults and weaknesses. You came into my life like a bulldozer and knocked the walls I had built down into the ground. You changed my life forever and I can never express how thankful I am for that. I love you, Serena, and I look forward to the day when we vow to love each other forever."

I blushed. No matter how many times Darien affirmed his love for me, it always made my heart skip a beat. This time seemed especially open because for once, Darien was speaking within earshot. He had finally been able to confidently state his feelings for all to hear, where he used to save any confession for private, intimate moments. While he still spoke about more deep feelings only within the confines of his apartment, he had once been so shy that uttering, "I love you," proved to be difficult in public.

I smiled. "I don't know what to say, Darien. You are certainly my rock. I know I can still be a bit rash, but I think you have helped me transform into the person I am today. I feel like I have a purpose in my life. You are my dream and let me be myself without judgment, but still steer me towards being a better person. It is your love and faith in me that motivates me to work harder in everything I do. Your embrace can make all of my pain and frustrations disappear. Your kiss launches me to the stars and makes my knees week, even after all of these years. I love you, too, Darien."

Darien returned my smile and leaned across the table to kiss me. "We'll have to remember some of what we just said when we write our vows."

I blushed, "Oh, yeah. We need to do those soon, don't we?"

Darien nodded, "I'm surprised you don't have a countdown until our wedding running already."

I sat back, trying to think of how many days were left. We had decided to get married on July 6th, one week after my 18th birthday. "What's today's date anyway?"

Darien looked at his watch, "April 8th."

I quickly counted, "Okay, so 22 days in this month…31…30…we have 78 days left, not including the day of the wedding."

"Now you'll be counting down, won't you?"

"More than likely. That is, as long as we can still have it that day…"

"We will. I promise you, rain or shine, vampires lurking or not, I will vow myself to you on that day."

I laughed quietly. "I hope we kick the vampire's ass way before the wedding date."

Darien agreed, "I have faith that we will. I'm sure the girls would say the same."

With that, the waitress brought Darien and I our lunch. While Darien had opted for a turkey club sandwich and a bowl of soup, I had ordered a bacon cheeseburger with French fries, a milkshake, and a strawberry parfait. Darien looked at the spread in front of me. "Really, Serena, where do you put all of that food?"

I looked at my plate, bowl, and glass in front of me. "Well, I get it all in my mouth at some point and probably burn it all off fighting evil. Although," I paused, looking down at my waistline, "I think I need to work out a bit more."

Darien sighed, "You're perfect, Serena. You have a magical metabolism, one way or another."

"If you say so," I said as I took the first bite of my mouth-watering cheeseburger.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

After an afternoon with Darien and a stuffed stomach, I was grateful to return home for the evening. I contacted each of the girls and no one had seen or heard of another attack. Darien flipped on the local news station. "Anything?" I asked.

"Nope. Not a word, so far." Darien settled onto the couch and picked up a book he was reading for his job at the hospital.

I sat next to him, resting my elbows on my knees and propping my face up with my fists as I watched the news, waiting for any new information. As the news wrapped up and late-night television came on, I sat back in my seat and turned the TV off. I sighed and then thought aloud, "I wonder if there will be an attack at graduation. After all, it will be a room filled with young people motivated to move on with their lives."

Darien put his book down and turned to me. "More than likely. We'll have to make sure the rest of the scouts are on the same page at graduation, although I'm sure they've already figured the same thing."

I looked at the clock. It was already 11pm and I had to be at the school by 8 am for the 9 am commencement ceremony. I stretched out my arms and yawned. "I better take a shower and hit the sack. I have a feeling it's going to be a long day tomorrow."

Darien nodded. "You're probably right. I'll wait up for you. I want to finish a bit more of this reading before tomorrow. Who knows when I'll get a chance to really focus on it again"

"What is it anyway?"

Darien turned the cover of the book towards me. "It's called _Secrets of the Body._" Pausing for a moment, Darien began again, "So far it's mostly been discussing strange phenomena that happen as a result of rare diseases or unexplained circumstances. I'm hoping that somewhere in the book we can learn a thing or two about our new enemy. The book is fairly recent and maybe this vampire has been at it for a while and we're just now being alerted towards it. The author is coming for a visit next week and I'm hoping to ask him a few questions, but I need to have all of my background information together first."

I nodded, "That's a good idea. Even if the author isn't aware of the attacks, maybe he could explain a vampire's desire to do so?"

Darien shrugged, "Most scientists don't like to mix science and the supernatural, but he seems to be interested in myths tying the body to certain ailments, so it is possible that he is our guy to talk to." Darien looked over to me and smiled, "But, for now, let's get you into bed. I want to see you walk across that stage tomorrow full of energy."

"Mm hmm," I responded as I started to get off the couch.

Darien took my hand and stood beside me. He pulled me close, burying his face into my hair. "Good night, Serena." He let me go just enough to lean in for a quick kiss before he released me to prepare myself for bed.

As I shampooed my hair, I tried to distress from the built-up excitement and utter disappointment with the new enemy. I inhaled deeply, smelling my strawberry shampoo as it was rinsed from my hair and swirled at me feet as it traveled to the drain. I took my time to carefully shave my legs, knowing that I would be wearing my favorite dress underneath my graduation gown. On stepping out of the shower, I grabbed my fluffy pink towel and dried myself off. I then applied lotion and a touch of perfume before slipping into my pajamas. Switching off the light, I tiptoed across the bedroom and crawled into bed beside Darien, who had fallen asleep sitting up with his book in his lap. I leaned over him and carefully put a bookmark on the page he had turned open before I flicked off his side table lamp.

The next morning I stirred as the alarm clock blared beside Darien. I rolled towards his side of the bed, "5 more minutes, please, Darien?" I opened my eyes to see that he had already vacated the bedroom. I sat up, turning the alarm off myself, and then stepped into my slippers and walked to the door. I made my way into the dining room, where Darien was seated at the table with the morning paper and a hot cup of tea, his gaze focused on the window. "Hey, every thing alright?"

Darien slowly turned his head towards me before sitting back in his seat. "We may have underestimated this enemy."

My heart lept into my throat and my palms began to sweat, "Oh, God, why do you say that."

Darien, without saying a word, pushed the newspaper towards me. With a shaking hand, I picked up the paper. The front headline exclaimed, "Vampire on the Loose! Fifty Victims Overnight!" My pulse quickened as I continued to read the article. The journalist had documented that most of the victims were young females between the ages of 14 and 19. A few of the families interviewed stated that the girls had mostly returned to a state of normalcy, except for they lacked the drive to do much of anything. "We were at least on the right track for who was going to be targeted, right? And it seems we were right that the victims had also lost a sense of motivation…" I said, trying to lighten the situation.

"But, how could we be so blind to one of the basic understandings of Vampires? They are nocturnal! We wasted our time waiting around for attacks in the daylight. Probably the only reason we saw one yesterday was due to the cloud cover at the time. Hell, they probably have been bringing that cloud cover along with them when they find a particularly attractive target. You had mentioned that you saw a mysterious rain cloud that had quickly disappeared, right? Maybe that was a sign of an attack."

I nodded, quickly rummaging my thoughts for the next plan of action. "Okay. Tonight after dinner with my parents, we'll form stakeouts around the city. We have to get to the bottom of this one way or another." I then glanced at my watch, "Shoot, I'm going to be late." I ran back into the bedroom, stripping off my pajamas and tossing on the dress I had laid out the night before. I desperately tried to do a tad bit of makeup and brushed my teeth before I ran back into the living room where Darien was patiently waiting, my graduation cap and gown in one hand, his car keys in the other.

The car ride to the school was fairly quiet. Darien held my hand the whole way, stroking the top of it with his thumb. As we pulled into the parking lot, he pulled his hand away only so he could put the car into park. He turned towards me and said, "Now, I want you to do your best…"

"Yeah?"

"And not fall off of the stage."

"Darien…"

Darien smiled, "Hey, I need you in my life one way or another, but it is much easier to deal with you injury-free."

I smiled as best as I could manage while still trying to show my frustration. Darien's expression relaxed slightly as he leaned across the console to give me a kiss. "Go show 'em how it's done, meatball head."

"You bet," I said, stepping out of the car and walking to where the graduating class had assembled to procession into the auditorium. Looking behind me, I saw Darien had caught up with my mom, dad, and Sammy. I smiled at the sight of the four of them together. They were my closest family and it made me beyond happy to see them all together, happy and healthy. I slipped the white robe required for girls over my dress and pinned the cap on my head as best as I could without removing my buns. After all, they had been a staple in my identity and removing them for such an occasion seemed wrong. I then heard my name called and rushed over to Ms. Abe, who was seating our class in alphabetical order, with the exception of the valedictorian and salutatorian, whom would be seated on stage. With my last name being further back in the alphabet, I could spot Mina and Lita ahead of my and, of course, Amy at the very front of the room, rehearsing her valedictorian speech one last time. Raye would be seated in the audience and would be catching up with us later. At last, Ms. Abe took the microphone and announced, "Okay, quiet down," she took a deep breath, "Class of 1996, are you ready for this?" The entire class let out a cheer. "Then, let's go!"

After we had been corralled and marched into the auditorium, I sat in my seat, trying my best to sit up straight so Mom and Dad could take pictures, and also trying to not fall asleep during the seemingly endless speeches. Of course, when Amy's name was called, I cheered and clapped as loudly as I could while still maintaining a ladylike pose.

Amy stood at the podium, her face exuberant, "Good morning, parents, teachers, administrators, friends, and, of course, the Class of 1996!" For perhaps the first time in her school career, the entire class gave a thunderous roar for Amy. Smiling broadly, Amy continued, "We have faced much adversity in our four years at Crossroads High School. From challenging exams to physically demanding sporting events, our class has shown that no obstacle is too great. In every endeavor we have met, we have exceeded expectations, perhaps even our own. Because of that, I have great faith that this class will continue on its path to excellence." Amy paused, the color suddenly rushing from her face. The crowd all turned in the direction that Amy was facing. Suddenly, the lights in the auditorium were cut off and screams echoed throughout the dark room. As people attempted to scramble out of the room, I found Mina, Lita, and Amy, who had managed to get off the stage and meet us remarkably fast. With a nod of our heads, each of us threw up our hands to transform. It was finally our first real challenge from the new enemy, and we were ready for it.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Within seconds, the five of us had assumed our roles as Sailor Scouts, ready to defend out class from the attack of the new enemy. "Hey, you!" I shouted as I pointed my finger to the enemy, "How dare you drain the life blood of aspiring graduates! We've worked far too hard for you to take everything away from us!" In traditional fashion, I stood in my classic punishment pose, with one arm crossed over the other. "I am Sailor Moon! Guardian of love and justice and in the name of the moon, I will punish you!"

The rest of the scouts stood in their own respective poses, ready for action. The vampire tossed his head back in laughter, his red eyes closed for a brief moment. I felt my face cringe into a snarl as he began to speak, "My name is Valentino, world-renowned vampire following in the footsteps in the great vampires before me. I've heard a great deal about you scouts on the television and radio. You certainly aren't nearly as threatening in real life."

Sailor Mars immediately jumped in front of all of us, "How dare you! We have beat every enemy we have faced and you think you're that much better than us? Ha!" Mars pulled her arm back and shouted, "Mars Firebird Sniper!" and blast the enemy with burst of flames. Valentino quickly jumped out of the way, his lips pulled back into a mocking smile. In a flash, Valentino was next to Sailor Mars, his long, pale fingers caressing her neck.

"Sailor Mars!" we all shouted as Sailor Mars reached her hands up to pull Valentino's hands off her neck. Within seconds, Valentino barred his fangs and dug them into Sailor Mars's neck. Sailor Mars's body quickly went limp, the color draining from her face. I ran forward, "No! You monster!" I reached my hand up in the air, expecting my wand to come into my hand. Clenching my fist, I realized that nothing was coming into my hand. I felt my eyes tear up, feeling defeated as I looked back up at Valentino who was vanishing in a swirl of white rose petals.

"I think I'll take her back to my lair for a bit. She could prove to be a valuable ally," Valentino taunted at us as they vanished.

I dropped to my knees while the rest of the scouts stood, unclenching their fists and feeling equally defeated. Tuxedo Mask knelt beside me and wrapped his arm around my shoulder. "We'll get her back, Sailor Moon. We've defeated every enemy before us. We just have to find his weakness. Don't give up yet!"

I looked up at my love, his blue eyes encouraging me. I nodded. "I just didn't want this to happen all over again, especially not on a day like this."

"I know, but we have to take this setback and make something out of it. We'll retreat for now and plan our battle strategy."

Sailor Mercury was the next to speak, "Sailor Moon, everyone, I know we can overcome, get Mars back, and defeat Valentino. I scanned him with my VR vision before he took Mars captive and got a better idea of what he's after. How about we head back to your place, Tuxedo Mask, and work on that strategy."

Tuxedo Mask nodded. "Sounds like a plan, Mercury."

When we arrived back at Darien's place, I sat on the couch in between Lita and Amy while Mina sat upright in the armchair, the four of us with cups of hot tea that had chilled way too much for any of us to drink them any more. We had been hashing out a new strategy to defeat Valentino and had come up with very few answers, even based on Amy's information that she had gathered during the previous fight. She had ruled out any of the "typical" vampire weaknesses, with the exception of sunlight, which Valentino had shown to avoid to this point and Amy had deduced was the single known weakness we had. "I'm not even sure if he has a greater purpose. He did mention that Sailor Mars could be useful, but I'm not sure what he meant by that," Amy stated, trying to spark up our discussion.

"Could he be trying to create an army of vampires?" Mina asked.

"I don't think so," Lita replied. "After all, the victims we have seen before have been left behind and have returned to a normal state, not one of a vampire."

Amy nodded, "That is true. He also left them alive, though, so what's not to say that it takes a period of time for the venom of the vampire to make its way through the victim's system before they turn into one as well?"

"Hmm," Lita, Mina, and I wondered in unison.

Darien came in through the door, the four of us all startled by the sudden noise before collectively sighing that it was only him. In Darien's arms, he cradled several paper bags of groceries. We had decided that staying all together was our best line of defense for the time being and Darien had volunteered to pick up some groceries to get us through for at least two weeks. I stood up to help him unpack the bags, glad to stretch my legs. I looked at the clock, which read 7 pm and saw that we had been sitting in the living room deliberating for over three hours. My stomach rumbled and confirmed that it was dinnertime. Darien looked at me upon my stomach's announcement. "Hungry, Muffin?"

I blushed, gazing at the kitchen tiles. "It's been a long day."

Darien shrugged, "I didn't mean it in a bad way. It's good to know you still have an appetite." He pulled out a package of my favorite ramen, "Here. Get the water boiling and you'll have dinner by the time we put everything away. I have enough for the girls, too."

I smiled and lunged towards Darien, who barely managed to keep his balance as I flung my arms around him. He wrapped his arms around me and I buried my face in his shirt, no longer able to hold my tears back. "Why is this happening? It's all my fault that there's a new enemy and even worse now, Raye is gone. What am I supposed to do without her?" I sobbed.

Darien stroked my head before pulling me off him ever so gently so he could look into my eyes. "Serena, I know you better than anyone. You are the strongest person I know, without a doubt. I know you can save Raye. You have done it so many times in the past. And you can't blame yourself for this. The future is always able to change, just look at when Rini came to us from the future. We may have countless more enemies before we reach the 30th century. Who knows? But that doesn't mean it's anyone's fault. It's part of life. We're here to defend the Earth and the Moon, no matter the cost. We can do this. Just believe in yourself, Serena."

I sniffled, wiping my eyes on my sleeve. Suddenly, I felt Darien's lips pressed against mine. I closed my eyes and allowed him to kiss me, feeling a new warmth inside of me. When he pulled away, I said, "You're right. Let's do this."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Over dinner, the six of us had done more deliberating, writing out every detail we could figure out about Valentino and vampires in general. Darien and Amy sat at their own laptops checking recent news stories, while Mina and I recounted what we knew through pop culture, in hopes that something could be relevant, and Lita carefully recorded what we found to be essential and what we considered irrelevant to the situation. We stayed up much past midnight, mugs of coffee and tea scattering the dining and living room, and empty packages of various snacks lying about. With a resounding click, Lita set down her pen. Darien and Amy followed suit, the lids of their laptops clicking closed in unison. Amy looked hopeful, "I think we're getting somewhere. Now we just have to wait until we have an opportunity to use what information we've gathered."

Lita and I nodded, while Mina stretched and yawned. "Let's hit the sack, guys. We need some rest to take Valentino down."

The rest of us nodded in agreement. Mina and Amy retreated to the living room to start making up sleeping bedrolls while Lita, Darien, and I tidied up. Once everything was picked up and the girls had settled in for bed, Darien and I went into the bedroom. I quickly washed my face, tossed on an oversized t-shirt, and brushed my hair out. After such a long day, it was nice to finally let it down. As I brushed my teeth, Darien came into the bathroom, already in his PJs. He picked up his toothbrush and began brushing his teeth. As I finished up, he washed his face and then joined me in bed. I clicked off my nightstand light, "Goodnight, Darien," I said with a yawn as I snuggled into my side of the bed, my body facing the picture window. I heard Darien's light click off and he said, "Goodnight, my love."

After attempting to sleep for some time, I lay awake and stared outside the window. The city was buzzing along below me, but seemed peaceful. Darien, on the other hand seemed restless, tossing back and forth. With a sigh, I felt him turn towards me and wrap his arms around me, pulling my backside into his body. "You still awake, too, Serena?" he whispered.

I nodded, "I'm all wound up." I turned to face him. Darien's eyes were barely open. Through the light of the window I saw his lips turn up into a small smile. He then closed his eyes and kissed me. I placed my hand at the nape of his neck and returned the kiss. Our kisses began slowly, then built up in speed and pressure. I felt Darien's hand wander up my t-shirt towards my chest. While it certainly wasn't the first time it had happened, I was surprised he was doing it on a night such as this. I pulled back for a second, my heart racing.

"Something wrong?" he asked, his voice low and raspy.

I shook my head, "No, I was just surprised."

Darien then continued with his kissing and caresses. I felt at a loss. This was as far as we had ever made it in bed before. Did he want something more? My heart now pounding, I reached for Darien's waistband. At this, he pulled back, looking somewhat embarrassed. I brought my hand back up to his shoulders. Darien rested his head on mine. "I'm sorry," he said, seemingly out of breath.

I furrowed my brows, "Sorry for what?"

"I just don't think it's time for that, yet. I know you're eager, but it doesn't feel right."

I smiled and kissed Darien's nose. He looked into my eyes. "You aren't disappointed?" he asked

"Not at all. I know you like to take it slow." I felt my cheeks grow hot as I admitted, "I don't even think I'm ready. I just thought that's what you wanted."

Darien pulled me close. "No, especially if you're not ready. It'll happen when the time is right."

I nodded and yawned. "You're right. For now, I think I'm finally ready for some sleep. Goodnight, again, Darien."

Darien yawned, "Goodnight, Serena."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The next morning, I didn't feel very well rested. I sat up slowly, my head pounding. Darien had already left his side of the bed. I touched the sheets and they were cool, indicating that he had got up a while ago. I staggered into the living room where the girls were sitting, already dressed, cups of tea on the coffee table and plates empty with the exception of bread crumbs. I rubbed my eyes as I went into the kitchen to get my own breakfast. When I made my way back to the living room, the girls and Darien all faced me, looking like their nights hadn't been kind to them, either. I situated myself on the floor in front of the coffee table and began to eat my toast. Everyone was silent for some time, occasionally taking sips of their tea. Eventually Lita stood up, sighing as she picked up her dishes. "I don't know about you guys, but I don't like the idea of waiting for trouble to come up. I've had this feeling that a storm is brewing, perfect weather for Valentino to make his next move."

Mina also stood up and collected her plate and cup, "You're right, Lita. I know it's been a while since we've really fought an enemy, but I'm ready for the challenge!"

Amy silently collected her things and followed the other two to the kitchen to clean up. I continued to eat my breakfast while Darien sipped his tea. Once I had finished, the girls announced that they were going to head into town to see if anything was happening. "I'll be there as soon as I can," I responded, following their lead and picking up after myself.

Darien retreated to the bedroom and made the bed while I picked out my outfit for the day. I continued my morning routine and realized that Darien hadn't spoken once this morning. I peaked my head out of the bathroom to see Darien standing next to large window in the bedroom, looking sullen. I carefully made my way towards him. "You aren't angry with me, are you, Darien?"

Darien turned towards me, doing his best to attempt a smile. "Of course not. I have no reason to be angry with you, Serena. I'm just worried about this enemy. Even with all of the strategizing, I'm worried that Valentino will find a way to defeat us."

I shook my head. "We can't chance thinking like that. We have to believe in ourselves, after all, that's what you said yesterday, was it not?"

Darien nodded, closing his eyes. "You're right, Serena." With a slight chuckle, he said, "Maybe I'm just getting old for the superhero business."

I walked closer to him and wrapped my arms around his waist. "I think we all feel that way today, but we are stronger than we think, we're just out of practice and need to get back in the swing of things."

He nuzzled his face into the top of my head, then inhaled deeply. "Let's do this," he finally said. I released my hold on him and led him out the door to join the girls in the center of the city.

Our walk was eerie. The sky had quickly darkened even more than it already had, few pedestrians walked around us, and even fewer cars were on the road. Passing the local electronics store, it was a bit easier to understand why. "The city is in a panic as another vampire attack occurred overnight. While no deaths or major injury has been reported, it is hard to tell what the long-term effects of these attacks are. Local officials have recommended that people stay inside as much as possible, keeping lights on to ward off the vampires. This is Bob Newland with your midday news update," the TV in the window said. Darien slammed the side of his fist into the window. "Damn! He got another attack."

I clenched my fists, "Ohh, how could he! We should have stayed on the lookout for him, not retreating to come up with a plan."

"This is just the beginning of it. I'm sure this storm is no coincidence."

Before Darien was even able to finish his sentence, we heard a scream coming from down the street. "That's our cue! Let's go!" I shouted, turning to run to the source, throwing my hand in the air to transform. Within seconds, Tuxedo Mask and I were ready for action. The rest of the scouts must not have been too far, either, since they were already on the scene by the time we arrived.

Valentino had already sucked the life-blood of several victims. "You again! Haven't you given up already?" he said, his smile menacing.

"Why would we do such a thing!" I shouted, assuming my fighting stance. "We are here to protect the citizens of Tokyo and that means we'll defeat you, no matter the cost!"

"Pity, you have already paid quite a price, haven't you?" he said, now mocking us.

"What are you talking about? We're here to defeat you once and for all!"

"What about your pal, Sailor Mars?" Valentino continued, barely able to contain his excitement that he had one-upped us. With a click of his fingers, Sailor Mars appeared from behind him, her violet eyes blank, her lips red with a victim's blood.

"Sailor Mars!" the Sailor Scouts and I shouted together.

Sailor Mars laughed wickedly. "Come to fight, huh? Will be a bit tough without me, won't it? I've taste the sweetness of victory and am not going to let you win me back."

I clenched my fists. _This isn't the Sailor Mars you know. You have to find a way to win her back. But, how? _I looked to the rest of the Sailor Scouts who looked as dumbfounded as me. _C'mon guys, let's think of something! _Finally Sailor Venus stepped forward. "You should know better than to say such a thing, Mars. Love and Beauty Shock!" she shouted, whipping her spell towards Sailor Mars.

Sailor Mars easily darted around the attack and like Valentino had done to her, Sailor Mars quickly arrived at Sailor Venus's side, her fangs barred and ready to be sunken into Sailor Venus's neck.

"Oh no you don't!" Sailor Jupiter shouted, attempting to pry Sailor Mars off of Sailor Venus. With one swift motion, Sailor Mars shoved Sailor Jupiter out of the way and sunk her fangs into Venus's neck. Venus struggled, only causing the blood to rush into Sailor Mars's lips even more quickly.

Sailor Mercury was the next to attack, but this time on Valentino. "Aqua Rhapsody!" she shouted, sending a powerful stream of water to the vampire. For once, he seemed to be a bit affected as he held the section of his abdomen that had been hit. "Now, that's more like it!" Mercury said.

Sailor Jupiter, rising from the ground where Sailor Mars had shoved her was the next to attack. "Supreme Thunder!" The bolts of electricity reacted with the water on Valentino and sent shocks through his body. He fell to the ground. As helpless as I felt, still unable to procure a wand, I was pleased to finally see my comrades make progress. However, it was short lived as we heard a thud on the ground to see Sailor Venus slumped on the ground, her eyes closed. Sailor Mars had dashed to her new master and cradled him in her arms. She leaned in, pressing her lips to his. The sight made me nauseous, even more so when Valentino came to and said, "Let's get out of here. I think we've had enough fun for one day. Don't forget Sailor Venus on the way out," his lips snarling.

"No!" I shouted, dashing to Sailor Venus. I wrapped my arms around her, attempting to shield her from Valentino and Sailor Mars. However, it was useless. With a snap of her fingers, Sailor Mars transported Valentino, Sailor Venus, and herself back to wherever Valentino had established his base. I collapsed into the spot that Sailor Venus had just been moments ago, letting my tears get soaked into the pavement. "Venus…" I sobbed, "Not you, too." My shoulders shuddered as a cold rain starting pouring from the sky. These attacks were taking my friends away much too quickly, especially without me being able to make any attack on the enemy on my own. I needed them and he was taking them away from me, one by one.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Tuxedo Mask, Sailor Mercury, and Sailor Jupiter were quick to get me out of the rain. "We don't need you catching a cold, Sailor Moon," Sailor Mercury said.

"Spoken like a true future doctor," Sailor Jupiter said.

I felt like my limbs were full of heavy sand and could barely convince them to move. Eventually, Tuxedo Mask decided the best option was to carry me home. I rested my head on his chest as he quickly made his way through the city. As I closed my eyes, I realized that everything in my body ached. Not just physically, but emotionally and mentally as well. Maybe Darien was right saying that we were getting old for the superhero business. I certainly didn't recall feeling so defeated so early on in a war waged on any enemy.

Suddenly, I felt myself slip into a dream, but it was more than a normal dream. I felt lighter than a feather as I drifted through space. Eventually my body settled on the moon, where the Moon Palace stood before me, shining in its former glory. Ribbons surrounded my body as I became Princess Serenity. Lifting my head up high, I carried myself into the palace. I inhaled deeply, the sent of roses surrounding me. I felt much more at ease than I had and equally more rejuvenated. As I made my way through the familiar, majestic hallways, I eventually found my way to the prayer room, where I met Queen Serenity.

"I have been waiting for you, my precious daughter," the Queen said.

I smiled. It had been some time since I had seen my mother of so many years ago. The sight of her reminded me of happier days as well as a source of strength. As I approached her, she reached her hands towards mine, sending a surge of warmth and love through my body. "I have missed you," I said, my regal voice of yesteryear replacing that of my every day life.

The Queen smiled before embracing me. She then held my shoulders before drooping her hands back to mine. "My, you have grown, my daughter," the Queen looked thoughtful, "You must be nearing the age of your marriage, is that so?"

I nodded. "In a matter of a few months, I will be married to my dearest. That is, if this new enemy can be defeated."

The Queen's face fell. "I knew there was some special reason why you were brought to me."

I lifted my head to meet her eyes, "It is the most formidable enemy yet, Mother. He takes the lifeblood from helpless victims. He has taken Sailor Mars and Sailor Venus with him in order to make them weapons against us. Worse even still, I have no power of my own to defeat him. I am at a loss."

Closing her eyes, the Queen responded, "I see. It appears that it is only a matter of time before he overtakes the city and all that you love."

Trying as hard as possible to stop the tears from flowing, I choked out, "Yes, it does seem that way."

Her lips curling up every so delicately the Queen teased, "Oh, Princess Serenity, have you not learned a thing or two by now? I am always here to provide you with sources of strength." She held her hands up above her head, palms meeting at the base before opening up through her fingertips. In a flash of light, a new object appeared in the Queen hands. She took hold of the short rod and held it out towards me. "This should give you the power you need to defeat your new enemy. Just say, 'Everlasting Moonlight.'"

"Everlasting Moonlight," I repeated as I took hold of the rod. It was about a foot long and was made of silver. The emblem on the top consisted of a crystal crescent moon with the center of the curve meeting the rod, creating an upturned moon. In the center of the crescent moon was a golden crystal heart, suspended by thin golden rods. On top of the golden crystal was a small golden crown encasing a pink gem. The entire wand was intricately decorated with pink and gold designs, creating a truly beautiful wand. I closed my eyes as I felt the energy of the wand surge through me. "Thank you, Queen Serenity."

"No, thank you, my precious daughter for living out your dreams and defending the Earth that you have always loved so much. I could not be any prouder than I am now, but I must go."

In a bright flash of light, the Queen, the palace and the Moon Kingdom disappeared. I felt my eyes flutter open and found myself resting on Darien's bed. _Was that a dream?_ I took a deep breath and sat up. Amy, Lita, and Darien were surrounding me, Darien holding my hand. I looked at him and his eyes instantly showed a great sense of relief. "How are you feeling?" he asked, still showing a measure of concern.

I smiled, "Much better, actually. I had a dream that I met with Queen Serenity and she gave me a new power. I feel renewed and full of strength."

Darien returned my smile apprehensively, "That's good. You have been knocked out for over 24 hours."

I felt my eyes widen and my jaw drop, "Over 24 hours?" It hadn't felt like more than 20 minutes, how could that dream possibly lasted 24 hours. "Have there been more attacks."

Darien shook his head, "None that we have seen and the news has quieted down quite a bit. I think that last hit that Valentino took did a number on him and he hasn't been able to make a deadly attack lately. It also appears that Sailor Mars and Sailor Venus lack the ability to attack without him as neither of them have been seen, either."

I looked outside and saw that the sun was beginning to set. "I have a feeling that a new attack is going to happen soon." Turning to Darien and the girls I smiled and said, "Let's get some dinner! No use in fighting on an empty stomach, right?"

With small smiles, everyone agreed and filed into the dining room. Darien and Lita went straight to work preparing rice, hot tea, and beef curry for us to eat before embarking on our next mission. Once everything was ready and put on the table, everyone ate in silence. While I was certainly thankful for a delicious meal, the other three seemed quite focused on something other than the food in front of them. "Is everything alright?" I asked, my mouth full of delicious curry.

Amy responded, looking at Darien and Lita first, "I think we're all mentally preparing for this next fight. We now know that Lita and I have a combination attack that works well against Valentino, at least as a temporary solution, so hopefully your new power will yield a bigger effect."

Still processing Amy's words, we all jumped when we heard a scream coming from outside. "He's here! Let's go!" I shouted, running out the door of the apartment and throwing my hand into the air. _This time, I know I'm ready._


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

I was the first to the scene of Valentino's most recent attack, but Sailor Mercuy, Sailor Jupiter, and Tuxedo Mask weren't far behind me. As much as I knew that Sailor Mars and Sailor Venus were working under Valentino's command, it still pained me to see them attacking helpless victims, their lips drenched with blood. It was a far worse feeling than when Tuxedo Mask had been brainwashed. Still, I swallowed hard and stepped forward to face Valentino. "Still think you're cool stuff, don't you?" I challenged.

Still looking a bit weakened, Valentino stood up to face my challenge. "I assume you still think you are able to defeat me? Can't you see that I have already taken two of your pals as my victims? Maybe you would like to join them instead!"

"That is highly doubtful," Sailor Mercury said, standing beside me. "There is nothing that would make Sailor Moon a bloodthirsty monster like you."

"Even if it meant you could be with your friends?" Valentino laughed, "Just think, eternal youth! The power! Sailor Moon, you could end the miserable life of a human and join me, if you just surrender."

"I don't need to surrender to the likes of you to achieve those things. I have already seen a glimpse of my future!" I replied, feeling my rage boil inside of me.

"Is that so? The future is apt to change, you know," Valentino chanted, "Perhaps the future you saw was clouded by your idealism."

"Never!" Sailor Jupiter shouted, "How dare you accuse Sailor Moon of such a thing! Her thoughts may be clouded by idealism, but the visions of all of us are not!"

"Thanks, Sailor Jupiter," I said, a little ticked by her statement on my thoughts.

"Just keeping it real, Sailor Moon."

"None of that matters!" Sailor Mercury interrupted. "Our goal here is to defeat you, Valentino! In the here and now! And also win our friends back so we can live our lives out in peace." Raising her arms, Sailor Mercury made her first move, "Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"

Valentino attempted to avoid her attack, but still received a large portion of it on the right side of his body.

"Sailor Jupiter, aim for his right side!" Mercury announced.

"Got it!" Sailor Jupiter responded and continued shouting, "Supreme Thunder!" without hesitation.

Again, Valentino attempted to block the attack, but felt his right side crippled. He collapsed to the ground, attempting to keep his eyes open and focused on me. Sailor Mars and Sailor Venus, seeming to be not much more than drones now, crouched beside their master. "Go on, girls," Valentino said, "Show those wretches what we can do."

Without a word, Sailor Mars and Sailor Venus stood up and faced us. I bit my lip. I wasn't sure what my new power did and didn't want to hurt them. _Even still, I need to try to win them back. I can restore them with the silver crystal, even if I kill them now. _I summoned my new wand. It easily came forth in my hand, sending the power of the Moon Kingdom through me. I lifted it high above my head. "Please, by the power of the Moon Kingdom, let my friends come back to me!" I paused, taking care to aim the beams towards Sailor Mars and Sailor Venus, "Everlasting Moonlight!"

In a shower of light beams, the attack enveloped Sailor Mars and Sailor Venus. They became frozen in place, their eyes opening wide before their entire bodies went slack. Sailor Jupiter and Tuxedo Mask quickly rushed to their sides and lifted them up to take them home. Valentino reached his hand out, "No! My darlings…" for a brief moment, he almost looked sadden as he saw Sailor Venus and Sailor Mars carried away from him.

I turned towards Valentino. He certainly looked vulnerable. I raised my wand, ready to attack. "Stop,…Sailor Moon," I heard from behind me, barely above a whisper. I slowly turned and saw Sailor Mars eyes come open. She looked very weak, "He has…a good heart…" she continued, "he can be saved. Use the crystal."

I looked towards Sailor Mercury, unsure of what to do for my next move. She nodded, "Do the same as you have to Sailor Mars and Sailor Venus before you try to restore him, just to be safe."

"Okay," I responded. I turned my attention back to Valentino, who certainly seemed less foreboding than he had just moments ago. I raised the wand above my hand, "With the power of the moon, I will try to save you. Everlasting Moonlight!" I shouted. The beams swallowed Valentino, making his body seem to disappear. As the light receded, Valentino slumped to the ground. At this point, I heard Sailor Venus speak up, "Now, before he is gone…"

I held my hands up to my brooch, palms together. I closed my eyes, "Silver crystal, grant me the power to heal this man and restore the good in him." I felt a warmth transfer into my hands and slowly opened my eyes to see sheer red ribbons emerge from the crystal, enveloping Valentino's body. In another shimmer of light, his body jolted before the ribbons unraveled and disappeared. Sailor Mercury carefully made her way over to Valentino's side and felt his wrist. She looked up at the rest of us, "He has a pulse. It's slow, but it's strong."

Carefully, Sailor Mercury rolled Valentino on his side to reveal a much more handsome face than any of us had noticed during the attacks. His hair, which had appeared muddied and dark, lightened to a silky chestnut color, barely long enough to fall into his eyes. Color returned to his face and displayed his chiseled cheekbones and full lips. "Let's get him somewhere safe until he comes to," Sailor Mercury finally decided. By this point, Sailor Mars and Sailor Venus, while still a bit shaky, were able to stand on their own feet and walk slowly back to Darien's apartment. Tuxedo Mask lifted Valentino onto his back and carried him back.

"That was perhaps the most satisfying defeat of any enemy we've ever had," I said, feeling much more cheerful that my two friends were back and we had managed to save the life of an enemy and return him to a state of normalcy.

"Don't be so sure, Sailor Moon," Sailor Mars warned.

Sailor Venus continued, "There's more than just him who are out to attack the city, not to mention cities around the world. He was just impatient and jumped the gun on the attacks."

I felt my heart sink in my chest. "So, we won't be having any peace for a while, will we?"

Sailor Mars and Sailor Venus slowly shook their heads together. "I'm afraid not Sailor Moon," Sailor Mars said, "this is only the beginning."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Once the group of us returned to Darien's place, the girls, Darien and I tried our best to make Valentino comfortable, even though he was still unconscious. Raye and Mina also took their time in readjusting to their normal selves. "Amazing how much drinking blood messes you up," Mina said, shuddering. She gingerly sipped on her tea and attempted to eat rice, but often felt nauseous. Raye's luck was no better and she resorted to taking a nap on one of the spare bedrolls in hopes that the feeling would pass. I glanced at the clock. It was well past 3 am and the wear from so little sleep was starting to show on the faces of Amy, Lita, Darien and I. Mina looked up at us, "You guys are exhausted, aren't you?"

We all nodded. "None of us slept well last night, so this has been quite the day," Darien responded.

"Why don't we all take Raye's cue and sleep a bit?" Mina suggested. "I'm still use to a nocturnal schedule, but a little beauty sleep never hurts! Plus, I do need to get back on a normal human schedule."

"What about Valentino?" Amy asked.

Mina stifled a laugh, "Well, Vampires don't sleep, you know. They do all their work during the night and do some rest in the daytime, but nothing like sleep. I don't think Valentino's actually slept in over 100 years. I'm sure his body is happy to finally get some!"

"Over 100 years?!" Lita exclaimed, "How old is this guy?"

Mina's expression softened, "Why don't you wait until tomorrow? I'm sure he'd be more than welcome to share his story with all of you once he gets use to us. He's really not a bad person, he's just been misguided for quite some time."

"I'd say so! 100 years is more than 'some time,'" Lita retorted.

Mina quietly giggled, "Yes, but not in terms of vampire years. Just wait, he'll tell you everything."

Despite our curiosity, all of us took Mina's advice and set off to bed. I barely hit the pillow and was already asleep. I didn't even wake when Darien came into bed beside me, pulling the covers up over me.

The next morning, Raye was the first up. She had made tea and pulled the curtains in the living room back, allowing the sunlight to wake the rest of our guests up. Darien was a bit more subtle in waking me up. He carefully planted a kiss on my cheek, "Get up, sleepy buns. There's tea and muffins ready in the dining room."

"Mmm, muffins," I mumbled. I rolled over to face Darien and nearly whacked him in the face in the process. "oops, sorry there, Der."

He smiled, "It's not a problem. No harm no foul, right?"

I nodded and embraced his neck, pulling his lip towards mine. He returned my kiss warmly and then said, "Okay, enough of that. I think our guess is ready to really know you."

I bolted up out of the bed, "Valentino's awake!" I shouted, barely able to contain my excitement.

"Shh! He is, but he's still very unsure of himself and what's going on. He has all of his memories, but being a human again is a whole new experience for him. His senses are more dull than they were when he was a vampire, but his body right now is reacting as if he had a hangover."

I glared at Darien, "And you would know how that feels?"

Darien smirked, "Of course not, my dearest. I wasn't a college student at some point, after all, was I?"

"Don't get smart with me, mister," I said, giving him my best pout.

"Oh, come on, Serena. It's really no big deal. I'm sure you've felt the same way before, even if not necessarily due to alcohol. It's like having a migraine or the flu."

I nodded, "Okay, okay. I'm ready to meet Valentino the human now. Let's go!" I slipped on my slippers and scooted out to the dining room where everyone else was seated, asking Valentino basic questions, stalling the good stuff until I got there. I took a seat next to Raye and Valentino turned towards me, "Sailor Moon! I mean, Serena," he said, a bit flustered. "I apologize for my actions. It is not decent for a gentleman to fight with a young lady, especially one as lovely as you."

"Hey, watch it there, sir," Darien joked, taking a sip of his tea.

Valentino blushed. "So, you all want to know my back story, correct?"

Lita and I nodded eagerly, while Amy reservedly answered, "Yes, please."

"Well, where to begin," Valentino pondered. "I suppose from the beginning. I was born Valentino Romano in Sicily, Italy in the spring of 1842. I was from a modest family where my father supported my mother and I by working as a silversmith. I had a comfortable child hood and attended school until I received an apprenticeship as a tailor at the age of 17.

At that point, everything for me was going smoothly. I was betrothed to a beautiful girl, who actually resembled Mina quite a bit. It was under her father that I became an apprentice and he recommended that I court his daughter. Angeline was her name. Angeline was everything to me. We were to be married in the summer of 1870, after both of us had turned 18. However, one night changed all of that.

I was returning from the workshop late one night. I had been working hard to mend my mother's wedding dress as a gift for Angeline as her mother's had been destroyed in a house fire some time before. As I completed a final mend, I had blown out the candles and locked the door behind me, proud of my handiwork and excited to present Angeline with the dress later than week.

In those days, Sicily had some crime, but usually not in the area of the city in which I resided, so I took to measures to protect myself against muggings or any other crimes. Besides, I was so blissfully happy that it was hard to imagine anything bad happening to me. Looking back, I wish that I had been a bit more cautious. After all, I had so much to lose.

Anyway, I heard footsteps behind me. While this was nothing out of the usual, the fact that they seemed to follow me seemed a bit strange. I became increasingly nervous and attempted to use a tight back alley as a shortcut home. It was there that Count Augustine assaulted me. He gripped me from behind and used his powers of numbing his victim's body on me before he sunk his fangs into me."

At this Valentino swallowed hard, then forced himself to take a sip of tea. "I'm sorry. It's difficult for me to recount the details now."

"Take your time," Amy encouraged.

He nodded before continuing, "The pain of his fangs piercing my skin was unlike anything that I have felt before. My veins immediately burned as the poison rushed through them. As I felt my mind go blank, Augustine whispered in my ear, 'You are a remarkable person, but you have yet to see your full potential. Come with me and you will become all that you have wanted and more.' I was unable to respond, but the pain I felt didn't seem like anything I could possibly want and I knew that what ever was happening to me would take me away from my Angeline.

I stayed on the ground until the next morning. By the time I awoke, I could think of nothing except my thirst. I stumbled into the street and drained the blood out of the first person I saw, a young girl half my age. Nothing had ever seemed more rewarding, but with my thirst quenched, I realized that even though this action was not who I truly was before, it was who I was to become. I couldn't bear to bring myself to see my family again, so I fled the city. I wandered alone from then on, taking victims where I could. After nearly 40 years, I hadn't left the country of Italy because it was still my homeland, but then I realized that nothing was the same. By that point, I was also better able to control my thirst, so I walked back to Sicily. I inquired about my lover's family and no one had answers for me until I entered the old tailor shop where I had once worked. The name had changed, but the shop was not. I walked in and met a tailor my age. I inquired about Angeline and her father.

The tailor look downcast as he told me that Angeline's father had passed nearly 30 years earlier. Angeline had also perished, although he did not know the reasons for either's death. He informed me of their burial plots and I made my way to the cemetery. I first found Angeline's father's plot, which stated that he had died of a heart attack. It was Angeline's epitaph that would have broke my heart, if I could still feel it. Hers stated that she had died not even a year after I disappeared. While hers did not say her cause of death, a passerby caught my attention 'The tailor's daughter, hmm?' I nodded, 'You knew her?' The stranger shook his head, 'No, I'm just the cemetery groundskeeper. She was a lovely woman. Died from poison, they say, perhaps due to heartbreak. Such a shame.' Clicking his tongue, the man walked away, providing me with no other information. It was then I decided to leave Italy. I didn't care where I went, I jus wanted to get far away.

Fast-forward another 40 years and I met Bellevue in northern Russia. I was astonished that there was another person who was traveling through a barren, freezing cold land with apparently no problems. I quickly made my way to the person and discovered it was a woman not much older than me. When she faced me, I also saw they shared another trait with me; red eyes and pale skin that showed no sign of life. It was her who recruited me to join her clan of vampires. She had been plotting for years to overtake the world, but wanted a sufficient army of already-turned vampires and then select only certain humans who showed great potential to become new vampires.

With her, I traveled through China and India and found a number of other vampires from all parts of Europe, Africa, and Asia. We eventually disguised ourselves well enough to gain entry into Japan where we decided to set up our base in an inactive volcano. Even with a number of vampires substantial enough to do true harm, Bellevue decided that only a few of us were truly worthy. She set us through rigorous courses of strength, will, and mind before she selected four of us to be her loyal servants. The rest she killed, absorbing each of their powers, if they possessed any that were unique. I was thankful that I had been selected. I felt that perhaps this was the greater purpose that Count Augustine had referred to so many years before. Even then, she put us through more training and encouraged us to focus on taking the life ambitions out of humans, their true life blood, in her eyes. She believed that it was ambition that kept humans alive, not their actual blood.

Her ways are certainly eccentric and she was a demanding woman. She also exerted an enormous amount of self-control, whereas I was rash and impatient. Because of this, she sent me on the mission to collect life blood from humans and select a few new warriors for her mission. However, I failed her."

Valentino dropped his head and then shook it as he smiled to himself. "Perhaps it's for the better. I have found that humans are even more beautiful than I remember, especially in the content of their life's goals. No one should strip them of those. I certainly never wanted mine taken away."

"Valentino," Amy asked gently, "What exactly is Bellevue's mission in taking the ambition out of humans?"

"World domination primarily, but she wants every human on earth to submit to her as their queen without question, make them her puppets. She believes in order to do this, they can have no motivations to act otherwise and rebel. It is a sinister goal and I am ready to fight against her however I can. But I must warn you all," Valentino paused, "there are other warriors fighting on her behalf who are much powerful than I am and are growing more powerful as she gives them greater powers. It is only a matter of time before her true strengths are shown, even if they are through the work of others."

Amy, Lita, Darien and I absorbed this warning while Raye and Mina watched along, already aware of all that Valentino had said.

"It's time for us to get ourselves ready, scouts," Mina said. "Luckily, Raye, Valentino and I are a bit more knowledgeable about what's to come, which could prove to be extremely useful in a matter of weeks."

Amy, Lita, Darien and I nodded. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's start again. We'll use what information we know and fill in the gaps with what Mina, Raye, and Valentino know," I said. Although I had felt powerful and undefeatable less than 24 hours ago, I knew that these powers had to be developed if they were to be any real threat. Valentino's defeat and transformation was a walk in the park compared to what was to come.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Over the next few days, Valentino taught us all he could about methods to beat Bellevue's next warrior. He taught us physical methods of deflecting each vampire's attacks and methods of hand-to-hand combat that Bellevue had taught each of them in their rigorous training. It was certainly unlike anything we were used to, with the exception of Darien who had taken a number of karate classes over the years. He held his own against Valentino time after time, much to Valentino's satisfaction. After the end of our last schedule training session, I was glad to take a break. We had been practicing at Raye's family's temple since it provided the best space to practice, certainly much better than Darien's apartment, especially after Lita broke a coffee table when she pushed Valentino harder than he anticipated. I was glad for the break and found a spot of grass to lay in. "I never was very good at PE in school, you know," I panted.

"At least you'll be in shape for your wedding!" Mina joked.

I grimaced and turned towards Darien. "Yeah," I sighed.

Mina's face fell, "What's wrong?" She frantically looked back and forth between Darien and I, "Does the goddess of love and beauty need to intervene?"

"No," Darien said, also a bit sullen. "Serena and I have decided to postpone the wedding until this enemy is defeated. Protecting the Earth is our duty, even if we must put our personal lives on hold." Darien then looked at me apologetically. I tried to return the gaze, but instead rolled over in order to stand up. By the time I had made it to my feet, Darien announced, "I'm taking a walk. I'll be back in a few."

My heart sank. I hated seeing him upset, especially since I knew that the decision, in the end was mutual. Darien had brought up the issue a few nights prior after our first training session.

"You know, it's already mid-May," he said as he untied his sneakers on the side of the bed.

"Yeah, the time has flown over the past couple of weeks," I agreed as I put my earrings in my jewelry box. I thought of the date, May fifteenth. "51 more days," I said, unthinking of what Darien had been hinting at.

"Right," he said, cautiously, "And how long have did we fight with just Valentino?"

I thought, adding up the days in my head, "A little over 30," I responded, still unsure of what he was getting at.

"Do you think that we'll be prepared for a wedding in 51 days if we are consumed with defeating the rest of the enemy?"

My heart jumped. The thought hadn't occurred to me. My stomach lurched and my eyes teared up. I choked out, "Oh, I see."

Darien sighed quite loudly, tossing his shoes to the side of the room. "Serena, I'm not saying anything in order to be mean." He came up behind me and wrapped his arms around me, but I pushed him off of me and turned to face him.

I swallowed hard and searched for words to say, "I know. I don't mean to be so emotional. I know we've sworn our lives to this duty, but sometimes I just wish one of our plans would fall into place."

"As do I, believe me, Serena. I've been looking forward to the day of our marriage for years."

"Yeah," I sighed, "You're right, Darien. We'll have to just push it off, I suppose." I rubbed my temples, not wanting to think about reorganizing the wedding. We had delayed much of the work involved as is, though, and it was likely to be rushed and not to my liking anyhow.

"It's our duty, Serena," Darien said, more sternly than I expected. With that, he went into the bathroom to finish preparing for bed. I quickly changed into my PJs and then got into the bed. Darien joined me shortly thereafter. He leaned over to kiss me first and said, "I don't mean to come off as angry, you know. It is as hard for me as it is for you to put this wedding off any more, but our duty comes first. I love you, Serena, now and forever."

I told the girls a summary of the conversation and they listened intently, Raye being the first to speak, "I know it's every girl's dream to have the perfect wedding, but Darien has a point. We've sworn ourselves to be warriors of justice."

Amy took a softer approach and said, "What does it matter if you get married now or later any how? The date you had chose was arbitrary anyway, wasn't it?"

I nodded to both of them, "I know. I reacted childishly and now I can't take it back. I feel awful, but this has been so draining on both of us. I know we can make it through, I just wish it wasn't so hard."

Valentino cleared his throat, "I don't mean to be nosey, Serena, but if you want to avoid losing Darien at all costs, I think you need to be open with how you feel. Don't hold it in and try to be strong just to prove a point. Your greater strength will show if you are honest."

His response caught me off guard. He looked at his feet and blushed, "I'm sure it's hard to take the word of a guy who ran away from his home and let his first love perish at her own hands, but I don't want you to suffer an equal fate. You're the kindest person I have met and I don't think that you deserve a fate that sad."

"Thank you," I said, feeling my heart swell after hearing his words. How did I ever want to kill this man? Sure, he had done a lot wrong, but his true intentions were pure and good. "I'll be back, everyone, I'm going to go find Darien."

I turned on my heel and jogged in the direction that Darien had walked off in. He had left nearly 20 minutes before me, but I had a good idea of where he was headed. I rounded corners with ease and made my way smoothly past other pedestrians. _Looks like Valentino's training has paid off_, I thought as I reached my destination. Sure enough, I could see Darien ahead of me, his gaze focused on the tombstone ahead of him. I carefully approached him, trying not to startle him. I stood next to him and read the tombstone that bared the names of Darien's parents, their birthdates, and date of death. I heard Darien give a slight sniffle next to me. "I know you're there, Serena," he said quietly, before turning his face towards mine, which was already faced up towards him. "How did you know I'd be here?"

I smiled ever so slightly, "I know you better than anyone. When you doubt anything about the two of us, you remind yourself why it is that you fight for me and everything that we have. It's been a while, but you have assured that I am your family now, even though I don't think that I always deserve your love and devotion."

Darien wrapped his arms tightly around me, taking the breath out of me for a brief moment. I returned the favor and rested my head on his chest. "You're right. I'm sorry that I can't always be there and give you what you want," he said.

"What do you mean?" I laughed softly, "You're all I could ask for in a partner."

"You say that, but I know you were upset when I proposed that we push our wedding back. I didn't mean to do that. I don't want to put this duty to defeat Bellevue's clan ahead of you, believe me."

"I know. I didn't mean to react the way I did, either. It was childish of me. I'm still a bit rash and naïve in wanting the perfect wedding, I suppose."

"It's more than just the wedding, though, isn't it?"

"Perhaps," I sighed. "It's hard to tell. Everything happened at once. I've barely had time to think for myself recently."

This time it was Darien who laughed, "Don't I know the feeling." He held me out from him and leaned in to give me a kiss. "Let's focus on this battle and put away the evil in the world and then we'll focus on ourselves, okay?"

I nodded, "As long as I can be beside you, nothing could be better."

"That's the spirit!" Darien said, slightly sarcastically.

I smiled as he leaned in for another kiss. Midway through, I heard a voice call, "A little strange to show such tenderness in a cemetery, isn't it?"

I opened my eyes and turned my head to the source of the voice. Atop one of the gravestones was Marie, the next in line of Bellevue's warriors. Despite being the smallest of the warriors, Marie had a special power that gave her an edge over most vampires. She was less prone to damage by sunlight as she had grown up in the hot African sun. She also had a gift of fire that she could summon from her fingertips. In a flash, Marie descended from the gravestone. She circled around Darien and I, focusing her attention more on Darien than me. "Quite a cutie, isn't he?" she smirked. I felt my blood rush, which then got her attention focused on me. "Oh, someone is perturbed now, aren't they?"

_I could really use the others right now_, I thought. Valentino made it clear that we were not to transform in front of the vampires for fear that they would track down our civilian identities and attack us when our guard was down. Within seconds of my internal plead, a blast of water shot from behind me and hit Marie directly. Her skin seemed to be melting with the contact of the water, "Who did that? Show yourself!" she snarled.

Sailor Mercury led the pack, "That was me, Sailor Mercury!" she shouted, posed for more action.

Sailor Mars was next, "Marie is it? I hear you have quite the skill when it comes to commanding fire?"

"Who are you?" Marie shouted, now more frustrated. Her temper certainly matched her fire skills.

"Sailor Mars! Ready to fight fire with fire!" Sailor Mars announced.

Sailor Jupiter then caught my eye and nodded. I took the hint, grabbed Darien, and retreated behind a larger structure on the cemetery grounds in order to transform. I heard shouts and an array of attacks being thrown every which way and from the sound of it, Marie was quickly losing.

"Damn it! How do you all know my next move?" Marie shouted in a greater rage.

I ran back to the scene with Tuxedo Mask in tow. "And who are you? How many of you are there?"

I smiled, "For now, just us, why, is that a problem?"

"It shouldn't be!" She growled, "I've been trained to deal with larger numbers than this."

It was at this that Valentino stepped out, "And what good has that done?"

Her eyes widened. "Is that you, Valentino? The traitor?" Marie charged towards Valentino, but not quickly enough as Tuxedo Mask quickly caught her. Sailor Jupiter then pinned her to the ground.

"Surrender, Marie. This is the end," Sailor Jupiter said. "It's time, Sailor Moon."

I nodded. Reaching my hand towards the sky, I summoned my wand. When it reached my hand, I outstretched it in front of me directed towards Marie. "Everlasting Moonlight!" I shouted, the now familiar beams shooting towards Marie. She gave a whimper as the beams entered her body and left her on the ground. In a matter of seconds, her body decomposed to white rose petals leaving nothing behind.

The group of us celebrated our victory and were especially thankful for Valentino's teachings. He smiled and then returned to a solemn state, "Marie was easier to defeat, but the other two will be tougher. They are much more physical than her and are less prone to specific attacks. And, of course, Bellevue will be the toughest."

I turned to Valentino and caught his eyes, "Yeah, but this wouldn't have been at all possible without your knowledge. We could've been chasing her for weeks like we did with you, if we had even caught you yet. Things could be much worse, so thank you."

Valentino nodded. "Thank you. Without you all, I wouldn't have this opportunity at all. I am glad to be of service for good and not evil."

We continued our small celebration over our small victory by visiting our old favorite hangouts, the Crown Arcade and Crown Fruit Parlor.


End file.
